THE NEW FORESTRY. igi 



Hartig gives a very correct description of this fungus, and also 

 of Trametes radiciperda, which he describes as being, if 

 anything, worse than the A garicus, affecting the trees in a 

 similar way. The only preventive he suggests is digging a 

 deep trench round the affected spots to prevent the fungus 

 extending, which it can only do through the soil, but in our 

 own case that is impracticable, as the stools are everywhere in 

 autumn, and the surprising thing is that so few trees 

 comparatively are attacked. 



Reverting to the beetle plagues mentioned, we have 

 come to think that some trees are more predisposed to 

 their attacks than others. It is certain, at all events, that 

 the pine beetle and fir weevil are rarely or never absent from 

 pine woods, and are often tolerably abundant where no 

 damage to anything approaching the extent described by 

 Miss E. A. Omerod is ever seen. The only preventive 

 measures suggested by experts in these matters is the removal 

 of all debris in the shape of decaying stumps and branches- 

 from the woods, as the insects shelter and breed among these 

 in winter and spring and come out to feed on the trees in 

 summer. 



Common Spruce Fir, Silver Fir, and others.— With 

 these are included the later introduced species like the Douglas- 

 fir, Abies noblis, and others named in Chapter VII. The 

 common spruce and silver fir suffer' more from diseases and 

 insects than any of the other spruces, the same beetles, weevils, 

 and fungus attacking them that attack the Scotch fir. The 

 spruce gall aphis crimps the shoots of weak trees but does 

 not hinder trunk development seriously. What seems to hurt 

 all the abies family most and predispose them to disease are 

 cold keen winds. Western gales blow the trees down, but 

 keen, cutting east winds kill the trees eventually wherever 

 they are exposed, and none are more sensitive than the common 

 spruce. Planted in gullies, or in plantations well sheltered at 

 their margins, the trees grow fast and are not seriously affected 

 by disease unless the soil is very thin and dry, and then they 

 make little headway anywhere. Removal of the debris from 

 the wood is the only preventive of the ravages of insects. 



The Larch. — Among forest trees no disease has caused 

 so much trouble and disappointment to planters as that 

 commonly known as the " larch disease," viz., ulcer or cancerous 

 blister. This disease attacks the tree in all soils and situations, 

 and it is doubtful if any of the explanations offered regarding 

 the cause of its development and virulence under various con- 



